Product Description

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This new book from top Christian education professionals integrates biblical foundations, educational theory, and practical insights into a new curriculum formation approach for the local church. Uniquely identifying curriculum as a means of ministry through the metaphor of mapmaking, it shows how believers are lost along the spiritual journey without a study plan, having no clear destination or reliable path to follow toward maturity.

Detailing the theological, educational, and pastoral dimensions that make a curriculum Christian, the text is arranged into four sections: (1) rationale for curriculum, (2) curricular foundations, (3) curriculuar theory, and (4) the practice of curriculum. Covers areas from children's ministry to adult education.

Publisher's Description

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This new book from top Christian education professionals integrates biblical foundations, educational theory, and practical insights into a new curriculum formation approach for the local church. Uniquely identifying curriculum as a means of ministry through the metaphor of mapmaking, it shows how believers are lost along the spiritual journey without a study plan, having no clear destination or reliable path to follow toward maturity.

Detailing the theological, educational, and pastoral dimensions that make a curriculum Christian, the text is arranged into four sections: (1) rationale for curriculum, (2) curricular foundations, (3) curricular theory, and (4) the practice of curriculum.

As the years go by many things in a church will change, pastors come and go as do the officers in the church, yet something rarely ever changes, the curriculum a local church uses. This statement is a sad reality of most of our local churches. We seek to evaluate those who are on staff, or volunteer as teachers and Bible Study leaders, yet those in leadership never seem to take the time and effort it takes to evaluate what is taught to the laity in all ministries of the church.

As a minister in charge of the christian education of a local church I have had this exact task put on my plate, it is not a easy task I can assure you, but it is not one which is impossible. In the past I had the displeasure of creating my own grid to evaluate the current christian education curriculum for all demographics, which never seemed to work like it was suppose to. Thankfully B&H Publications has produced a work which has been an answer to my prayers. Mapping Out Curriculum in Your Church: Cartography for Christian Pilgrims, Edited by James Estep, Karen Estep and Roger White, is a book which seeks to give aid to ministers and committees who are evaluating and possibly changing from their current curriculum.

While you may or may not have Baptist leanings this work while produced by B&H does not only suggest baptist curriculum, on the contrary curriculum produced by B&H is just listed align side others. The reason for position is that the book is focused on giving the minister and/or committee a strategic plan of action to evaluate their needs and desires. It is refreshing to have a work which this is the primary focuses, without constantly seeing propaganda for the publishers own line of products. Furthermore each chapter has review questions that would help any committee who would like to use this book as a guide in changing their curriculum needs base on their theology. I therefore recommend this work as an ineradicable asset to all who see to diligently evaluate their current and possibly future curriculum for their ministries.

This book was provided to me free of charge from B&H Academic in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.